Venus

Venera-13, March 1, 1982. Image processing by Don P. Mitchell

Prof. Gilmore seeks to understand the oldest rocks on Venus contained in the tessera terrain.  Study of the morphology, stratigraphy and structural geology of the tesserae using Magellan data show they are derived from an extinct era of Venus history.  Our work has shown that the infrared signatures of the tesserae are consistent with more silicic rocks which would require formation on a planet with water and lithospheric recycling. Tessera terrain is a primary target for measurement with future missions and our work will put these observations in context.

We are employing novel methods to understand Venus surface composition. A reexamination of radar emissivity data for the planet show variations among volcanoes, mountains and tesserae related to mineralogy.  We also are studying the effects of mineral weathering in the GEER Venus chamber and experimental apparatus at Wesleyan.

PUBLICATIONS (#indicates postdoc author, *indicates graduate student author, ^indicates undergraduate student author)

    Ghail R.C. et al. (2024) Volcanic and tectonic constraints on the evolution of Venus, Space Science Reviews, 220 (26), doi:10.1007/s11214-024-01065-2.

    Gilmore M. S., Dyar M. D., Mueller N., Brossier J., #Santos A. R., Ivanov M., Ghail R., Filiberto J., Helbert J. (2023) Mineralogy of the Venus Surface, Space Science Reviews, 219 (52) doi:10.1007/s11214-023-00988-6.

    Carter L. M., Gilmore M. S., Ghail R. C., Byrne P. K., Smrekar S. E., ^Ganey T. M., Izenberg N. I. (2023) Sedimentary processes on Venus, Space Science Reviews, 219 (85). doi: 10.1007/s11214-023-01033-2.

    Lustig-Yaeger J., Izenberg N. R., Gilmore M. S., Mayorga L. C., May E. M., Vourlidas A., Hess P., Wood B. E., Howard R. A., Raouafi N. E., Arney G. A. (2023) A WISPR of the Venus Surface: Analysis of the Venus Nightside Thermal Emission at Optical Wavelengths, Plan. Sci. J., 4, 207. doi:10.3847/PSJ/ad0042

    #Santos A. R., Gilmore M. S., Greenwood J. P., Nakley L. M., Phillips K. Kremic T., ^Lopez X. (2023) Experimental weathering of rocks and minerals at Venus conditions in the Glenn Extreme Environments Rig (GEER), J. Geophys. Res, doi:10.1029/2022JE007423

    ^Ganey T. M., Gilmore M. S., #Brossier J. F. (2023) Reassessment of the volumes of sediment sources and sinks on Venus, Plan. Sci. J., doi:0.3847/PSJ/aca521

    Herrick, R.R. et al. (2023) Resurfacing history and volcanic activity of Venus. Space Sci. Rev. 219, 29. doi:10.1007/s11214-023-00966-y

    Knicely J., Gilmore M. S., Lynch R. J., Herrick R. R. (2023) Strategies for safely landing on Venusian tesserae, Plan. Space Sci., doi:10.1016/j.pss.2023.105652

    #Brossier J. F., Gilmore M. S., Head J.W. (2022) Extended rift-associated volcanism in Ganis Chasma, Venus detected from Magellan radar emissivity, Geophys. Res. Lett.,  49, e2022GL099765. doi:10.1029/2022GL099765

    Garvin J. B. et al. (2022) Revealing the mysteries of Venus: The DAVINCI mission, Plan. Sci. J., 3, 117.

    Sarli B., Benayas Penas M., Nakamura R., Gilmore M., Lynch R., Hughes K. Beauchamp P. (2021) Mission Design of the Venus Flagship Decadal Study, 72nd International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 25-29 October 2021. 16 pp.

    #Brossier J. F., Gilmore M. S., ^Toner K., ^Stein A. (2021) Distinct mineralogy and age of individual lava flows in Atla Regio, Venus derived from Magellan radar emissivity, J. Geophys. Res., 126, e2020JE006722, doi:10.1029/2020JE006722

    Resor P. G., Gilmore M. S., ^Straley B., Senske D. A., Herrick R. R. (2021) Felsic tesserae on Venus permitted by lithospheric deformation models, J. Geophys. Res., doi:10.1029/2020JE006642

    Izenberg N. R., Gentry D. M., Smith D. J., Gilmore M. S., Grinspoon D. H., Bullock M. A., Boston P. J., Slowik G. P. (2021) The Venus Life Equation, Astrobiology 21, doi:10.1089/ast.2020.2326.

    #Brossier J. F., Gilmore M. S. (2021) Variations in the radiophysical properties of tesserae and mountain belts on Venus: Classification and mineralogical trends, Icarus, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2020.114161

    Byrne P.K., Ghail R. C., Gilmore M. S., Celâl Şengör A. M., Klimczak C., Senske D. A., Whitten J. L., Khawja S., Ernst R. E., Solomon S. C. (2020) Venus tesserae feature layered, folded, and eroded rocks. Geology, doi:10.1130/G47940.1

    Kremic T., Ghail R., Gilmore M., Hunter G., Kiefer W., Limaye S., Pauken M. and Wilson C. (2020) Long-duration Venus Lander for Seismic and Atmospheric Science, Plan. Space Sci., doi:10.1016/j.pss.2020.104961.

    #Brossier J. F., Gilmore M. S. and ^Toner K. (2020) Low radar emissivity signatures on Venus volcanoes and coronae: New insights on relative composition and age, Icarus, 343, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2020.113693.

    Filiberto J., Trang D., Treiman A. H. and Gilmore M. S. (2020) Present-day volcanism on Venus as evidenced from weathering rates of olivine, Science Advances,03 Jan 2020: Vol. 6, no. 1, eaax7445, doi:10.1126/sciadv.aax7445.

    Gilmore M. S. and Head J. W. (2018) Morphology and deformational history of Tellus Regio, Venus: evidence for assembly and collision, Plan. Space Sci., 54, 5-20.

    Gilmore M.S., Treiman A., Helbert J. and Smrekar S. (2017) Venus Surface Composition Constrained by Observation and Experiment, Space Sci. Rev., 11, pp. 1-30, in Venus III (eds. B. Bézard, C. T. Russell, T. Satoh, S. Smrekar), doi:10.1007/s11214-017-0370-8 (invited review).

    Glaze L. S. et al. (2017) DAVINCI: Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, and Imaging, Proc. 38th IEEE Aerospace Conf., 5 pp.

    Gilmore M. S., Mueller N. and Helbert J. (2015) VIRTIS emissivity of Alpha Regio, Venus, with implications for tessera composition, Icarus 254, 350-361, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.04.008.

    Baker C., Gilmore M., et al. (2010) Venus Intrepid Tessera Lander (VITaL), Proc. 7th Int. Planetary Probe Workshop, Barcelona, 9 pp.

    Hashimoto G. L., Roos-Serote M., Sugita S., Gilmore M. S., Kamp L. W., Carlson R. W. and Baines K. H. (2008) Galileo Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) data suggest felsic highland crust on Venus, J. Geophys. Res. 113, doi:10.1029/2008JE003134.

    Gilmore M. S. and Head J. W. (2000) Sequential deformation of plains at the margin of Alpha Regio, Venus: Implications for tessera formation. Meteoritics and Planetary Sci. 35, 667-687.

    Marinangeli L. and Gilmore M. S. (2000) Geologic evolution of the Akna Montes-Atropos Tessera region, Venus. J. Geophys. Res. 105, 12053-12075.

    Rodgers D., Gilmore M., Sweetser T., Cameron J., Chen G.-S., Cutts J., Gershman R., Hall J. L., Kerzhanovich V., McRonald A., Nilsen E., Petrick W., Sauer C., Wilcox B., Yavrouian A., Zimmerman W., and the JPL Advanced Project Design Team (2000) Venus sample return: A hot topic. Proc. IEEE Aerospace Conference, vol 7, 473-484, doi:10.1109/AERO.2000.879315.

    Sweetser T., Cameron J, Chen G-S., Cutts J., Gershmann R., Gilmore M. S., Hall J., Kerzhanovich V., McRonald A., Nilsen E., Petrick W., Rodgers D., Wilcox B., Yavrouian A., Zimmerman W., and the JPL Advanced Projects Design Team, (1999) Venus surface sample return: A weighty high-pressure challenge. Proc. AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Conf., Aug. 16-19, 1999, Girdwood, Alaska, Advances in the Astronautical Sciences, 103(3), 831-844.

    Gilmore M. S., Collins G. C., Ivanov M. A., Marinangeli L. and Head J. W. (1998) Style and sequence of extensional structures in tessera terrain, Venus. J. Geophys. Res. 103, 16813-16840.

    Gilmore M. S., Ivanov M. A., Head J. W. and Basilevsky A. T. (1997) Duration of tessera deformation on Venus. J. Geophys. Res. 102, 13357-13368.

    Keddie S. T., Antonenko I., Aubele J. C., Burt J. D., Crumpler, L. S., Gilmore M. S. and Grosfils E. B. (1995) Volcanoes, in: The Face of Venus: The Magellan Mapping Mission (L. E. Roth and S. D. Wall, eds.) NASA Special Publication 20, Washington, D. C., p. 55-80.z

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